Wall mounted tissue press with integrated tissue dispenser

ABSTRACT

A wall-mounted tissue press that combines a dispenser and receptacle into one integrated unit that dispenses, receives, compacts and temporarily stores, tissue paper. By a combination of internal components, a ram is created to compress stored waste, and effectively increase the capacity of said receptacle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to receptacles and more importantly to a wall mounted container and specifically to a wall mounted tissue press with integrated dispenser.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Personal hygiene is becoming increasingly important in an age where many infectious diseases are becoming resistant to disinfectants and drugs. Hands often act as vectors that carry pathogens from person to person, either through direct contact or indirectly via surfaces. For example, door handles in public restrooms are a common repository of bacteria and virus. Regular hand washing is encouraged, but not enforced. Studies show that up to 30% of the public do not wash their hands after using the washroom. Hand sanitizers interrupt the transmission of disease after the fact, but those who neglect or refuse to use the disinfectant remain vulnerable and are carriers.

There have been other solutions to the door handle problem. Some modern washroom designs have eliminated doors altogether but this is rare, and often impractical. The most common remedy is to use a paper barrier in the form of a napkin or tissue placed over the handle to prevent contact. There have been several inventions based on this method with variations on delivering and receiving waste tissue.

The disposal of personal use tissue is usually an improvised affair, no different from those arrangements for general waste. A container is usually placed near the door. To be practical it must be within reach of the doorway, usually without a lid to hinder the deposit, and sufficient in size to prevent overflow. This may be adequate for low volume applications, but in busy commercial situations such as public washrooms, reliable, immediate access to the receptacle is critical. This can best be achieved with a dedicated, compact unit within reach of the doorway.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Tissue dispensers are usually separate from receptacles, and the distance separating the two may hinder, or even prevent disposal. The present invention overcomes this complication by combining the receptacle and dispenser into one unit. The two are then arranged to form a press to compact discarded tissue and effectively increase storage space by up to 3 times. By receiving and compacting used tissue at the source, this self-contained system enables a space saving, wall mounted receptacle to be strategically positioned next to the door handle.

The invention then, is the combination of a tissue dispenser and receptacle to form a press. It is comprised of a column shaped enclosure consisting of a main body and rear panel member, with a closable top door and a closable bottom door. It may be mounted on a wall by adhesive or fasteners. The top door is mounted by a hinge to the back member. The bottom door, for temporarily closing the bottom side, is also mounted by a hinge attached to the back member. Both doors are latched. Clean tissue in a box (or magazine) is stored within the enclosure, suspended on a box hanger, and dispensed through a port. There is a tissue compression devise stored within the enclosure. It consists of the box hanger and tissue box combined, to form a ram.

It is a matter of routine for the custodian to maintain a tissue supply and guard against overflow. When the storage chamber is full and in danger of overflowing, the top door is opened and the ram unhooked from its stored position. The custodian then applies a compressive force to the used tissue by plunging the ram downward several times before returning the receptacle to service. A more effective use of storage space is thus achieved in this manner. If necessary, a new box of tissue is placed on the box hanger before it is replaced in the stowed position. When the storage chamber is full and further compression is to no avail, the bottom door is opened to empty the compressed load for disposal.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide sanitary means for opening a door having a contaminated door handle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a wall mounted receptacle proximate to a door handle, that can be mounted on any wall, even in confined spaces.

It is another object of the invention to enable the user to immediately discard used tissue while passing through an open doorway into a lidded container.

It is another object to provide a receptacle and dispenser system that does not require contact with the users hand on the surfaces.

It is a further objective to provide a dispenser system that has sufficient supply and storage capacity for long term use between refills.

It is an additional object to provide an efficient tissue dispensing and disposal system that is inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to install and operate.

Additional objectives, advantage and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention as a doorway tissue dispenser.

FIG. 2 shows the tissue use cycle.

FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a frontal view of the body.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the ram assembly.

FIG. 6 shows the ram in stowed position.

FIG. 7 shows partial sectional views of the tissue press in operation.

FIG. 8 shows a partial view of the storage chamber and waste disposal.

FIG. 9 shows an isometric view of the door latch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description of the present invention is merely exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the invention or its application. The fabrication material is sheet metal but plastic may also be used. The preferred tissue for grasping door handles is of the “delicate task” variety for strength and convenience of size. Other, general purpose wipes may be substituted.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention 10 as a door-way tissue dispenser. It provides the user with a dedicated appliance that combines tissue supply and disposal in one unit. It is located proximate to door 12, near door knob 14. The tissue dispenser 16 is combined with a receptacle 18 which provides temporary waste storage. The top of the invention comprises a hinged door 20 that is held in place by a latch 21 which is more fully described below. It has a port with a collar 26 for receiving discarded tissue. This port is restricted in size to discourage using the receptacle for general trash. The top door, when opened, also provides access to the tissue supply and compression devise stored within, also described below.

The bottom of the invention consists of a lower door 22 with latch 24, identical to the top. This is used for waste removal. Both doors are closable and the same fit, as required by the operation of the latches, however their profiles are arbitrary. Other embodiments of the invention may differ in this respect.

The tissue use cycle is illustrated in FIG. 2. Tissue is received at the dispenser port 66 by the user, utilized, and then discarded through receptacle port 26. After passing through the port, used tissue descends past the suspended tissue box 30 inside into the storage chamber 32 below. Here it is compressed and stored temporarily before disposal through bottom door 22 into a suitable container 36 for removal.

Referring to FIG. 3, the structure of the invention is shown as a trapezoidal-shaped enclosure comprised of a main body 38 and rear panel members 40 and 42 and top and bottom doors 20 and 22. The closable top door and closable bottom door are attached by identical hinges 44 and 46 to the rear panel members. Latches 21 and 24 secure the doors. Upper and lower mounts, 48 and 50 provide a means of attaching the unit to a wall. A tissue box 30 is suspended inside on a box hanger 54.

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the body 38. It is formed from a single sheet of material into a front surface 56, a left-side surface 58 with mounting flange 60, and a right-side surface 62 with flange 64. The front surface includes a port 66 with a collar that is situated down from the top edge of the body so that it aligns with the tissue box discharge vent 74 (see FIG. 5). The body is narrowed at the front creating a channel that guides a ramming devise in a downward direction, as explained below.

FIG. 5 describes the ram assembly 67. It consists of the box hanger 54 and tissue box 30 combined and serves as both a compression devise and tissue dispenser (when in the stored position). The hanger has a floor 68 to support the tissue box and an angled rear face 70 that deflects incoming discards to the storage chamber. A hooked end 72 allows it to be suspended onto the top front edge of the body 38 (see FIG. 6) thus aligning the tissue box vent 74 with the dispenser port 66.

Referring to FIG. 6, the ram 67 is shown in the stowed position, where it serves double duty as a tissue dispenser.

FIG. 7 shows the operation of the press. In FIG. 7 A, uncompressed discard 76 descends past the ram 67 into the storage chamber 78. In FIG. 7 B, the custodian, after releasing the latch and opening the top door 20, reaches inside the enclosure to grasp the ram (the box hanger with attendant tissue box) and plunge it down 80 to compact loose tissue and restore storage space. The ram is then returned to its stowed position and the top door closed.

FIG. 8 shows the method of waste disposal. Compressed tissue 82 is stored until capacity is reached. The bottom of the invention comprises a bottom door 22 that opens downward. When the storage chamber 78 is full, the door is opened to discharge the compressed discard into a suitable waste container, such as a bag (see FIG. 2).

In the present embodiment of the invention, the latches 22 and 24 for both doors employ a simple yet effective devise that deters tampering without requiring a lock and key for security. It is important that the top door 20 is not (easily) opened for the deposit of general trash items that will contaminate and jam the system. It is also important that the bottom door 22 be securely fastened to prevent accidental opening.

FIG. 9 shows an isometric view of the latch system. The body 38 has some flexibility allowing for sideways movement. The doors, however, are rigid in a lateral direction. A pin 84, attached to the top door 20 as shown, is long enough to penetrate a corresponding hole 86 in the body providing a coupling effect that prevents opening the door. There is sufficient clearance between the sides of the door and the body to permit body movement. When shifted sideways, away from the pin, the door is released. Both upper and lower latches operate in a similar fashion. 

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A wall mounted tissue press that combines a tissue dispenser and receptacle comprising: a. a space enclosing member having a closable top side, closable bottom side, and a closed back side; b. a top door for temporarily closing said closable top side with an aperture for receiving waste tissue; c. a bottom door for temporarily closing said closable bottom side and a means of disposing waste tissue; d. a tissue dispensing means combined with the receptacle; and e a tissue compression means within said receptacle. f.
 22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the space enclosing member comprises a single sheet of material to form a body consisting of a front surface, a left side surface with mounting flange and a right side surface with mounting flange, and a rear panel. a. where the space enclosing member provides a receptacle and temporary storage space for received used tissue; b. where the space enclosing member includes a second aperture for dispensing tissue; c. where the space enclosing member forms a channel to guide the compression devise stored within. d.
 23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tissue dispensing devise consists of a box of tissue suspended on a hanger within said enclosure.
 24. Where the tissue compression devise of claim 1 consists of the hanger and tissue box combined, to form a ram to compress used tissue stored in the space enclosing member.
 25. Where the ram referred to in claim 4 also serves as the tissue dispensing devise when in the stored position within the space enclosing member.
 26. Where the apparatus of claim 1 has the ability to effectively increase the storage capacity of the enclosed space by use of the compression devise of claim
 4. 